Wire-drawing machine.



PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906.

J. A. HORTON. WIRE DRAWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15,1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906.

J. A. HORTON. -WIRE DRAWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15, 1903.

4 SHBETSSHEET 2.

1|||||||||| |III|||I|I 1722/6 Z 021 fw -22? No. 824,654. PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906. J. A. HORTON. WIRE DRAWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15. 1903.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

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PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906.

J. A. HORTON. WIRE DRAWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15,1903.

97 llllllllllllll YIIIII IH llllllllllllllllll lllllilllll UNITED STA PATENT OFFICE...

JAMES A. HORTON, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO IROQUOIS MACHINE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPO- RATION OF NEW YORK.

WIRE-DRAWING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application fil d June 16, 1903. Serial No. 161,567.

creased the Wire being drawn through each die through the instrumentality of a rotating drum around which the wire is assed.

The invention has for its chief objects to economize space; to prevent the liability of the scattering of the lubricating liquid by the rotation of the wire-drawing drums; to en hance the convenience of the operation of threading the wire through the dies and passing it around the various drums of the systern; to make the machine interchangeable for winding'coils of different diameters, and to automatically stop the coil of wire when the latter breaks.

The invention consists of the several improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a top plan view of a wire-drawing machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 representsaside elevation of a portion of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig( 6 represents an enlargement of a portion of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 represents a section on line 7 7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 represents a vertical section. throu h the stop-motion. Fig. 9 represents a horizontal section through the change-gear mechanism. Fig. 10 represents a vertical section showing a smaller size of receiving or storing drum from that shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Fig. 11 represents a section on line 11 11 of F1g. 8. Fig. 12 represents a plan view showing the oscillating die-holder with different dlameters of drums. Fig. 13 represents a section on line 13 13 of Fig. 12.

The same reference characters indicate the same arts in all the figures.

In t e drawings, 30 represents the supporting-frame of the machine. Said frame may be of any desired form and may be adapted to contain any desired number of the groups.

or tiers of drawin -drums hereinafter described. Instead o arranging the drawing drums in a horizontal row or series or in tandem order I assemble the drums in tiers or groups, the members of each group being superimposed or arran ed one above another, so that the horizonta space occupied by a tier or group of drums does not materially exceed the horizontal space occupied by one of the drums. In this embodiment of my invention two groups or tiers constitute an en tire series of drawing-drums adapted to effect the desired reduction in the'size of the wire supplied to the machine. Each group or tier comprises a series of preferably four drums 31, although the number may be obviously greater or less than that specified. Each drum is of annular form, so that it may be rotated by power internally applied, as hereinafter set forth. The drums of each grou are supported by means of a casing whic comprises a fixed top or cover 35, surmounting a bottom section 34, and a series of intermediate sections 32. Said intermediate sections correspond in number to the drums, each section having an annular body portion which is located at the inner side of one of the annular drums 31 and a flange which projects under the under surface of one of the drums, each flange forming a support or guide for a drum and a guard which projects outwardly beyond the outer periphery of the drum. The margins of the to and bottom sections also roject' outside t e peripheries of the top an bottom drums and constitute guards corresponding to the guards or anges 33. Theguards 33 are separated by narrow eriphera slots or olpenings through which t acting portions 0 the peripheries of the drums (or the wire-forwarding shoes thereon, hereinafter described) are exposed.

The sections 34 and 35 are provided, respectively, with hubs 36 37, which receive the driving sleeve or quill 38 and the driving shaft or spindle 39. The base-section 34 is provided with an annular upwardly-projectin flange 40, which bears against the inner si es of the sections 32 and supports the top section 35. The flanges 33 are provided with seats which support the drums 31 the drums being freely rotatable on said seats. The guards or flanges 33 are shouldered to bear upon the outer portions of the drums, as shown in Fig. 6.

The driving shaft or spindle 39 may be rotated by power applied to it in any suitable manner, the said shaft imparting rotation to the driving-quill 38. Said quill is provided with a group or series of gears 41 42 43 44, these gears corresponding in number and position to the drums 31. The said gears are of different sizes, the gear 41 being the smallest, while the gears 42, 43, and 44 are of successively increasing diameter.

The internal surfaces of the drums 31 are provided with gear-teeth 45, constituting internal gears. Each drum is connected with one of the above-mentioned driving-gears by means of an intermediate pinion, these pin ions being of different diameters and located at different heights. The lower drum 31 is connected with the smallest driving-gear 41 by an intermediate gear 46, the second drum from the bottom is connected with the driving-gear 42 by an intermediate gear 47, an intermediate gear 48 connects the third drum from the bottom with the driving-gear 43, and an intermediate gear 49 connects the topmost drum with the driving-gear 44. The gears 46, 47, 48, and 49 are mounted on bosses 50, affixed'to the bottom section 34 of the casing, said bottom section being formed to support the intermediate gears at the various heights required. The intermediate gears decrease successively in diameter from the lowest to the highest member of the series, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The flange of the casing is provided with openings or slots 51 for the intermediate gears, there being one of these slots for each gear, the slots being formed to permit the several gears to project through the flange 40 and engage the internal gear of the accompanying drum 31. v The driving-gears and the intermediate gears above described are preferably so proportioned that each drum above the lower one rotates faster than the drum below it.

The quill 38 is detachably engaged with the spindle 39 in such manner that the quill can be readily lifted from the spindle, the easing and the tier of drums therein being also adapted to be raised from the supportingframe and from the spindle. As here shown, the quill and spindle are detachablyconnected by a key 10, which permits the quill to be moved endwise on the spindle. The casing is engaged with the supporting-frame and prevented from rotating thereon by dowelpins 14 14, aflixed to the frame and entering orifices formed in the bottom plate 34 of the casing.

The above-described construction permits the casing, with the drums, quill, and gears to be raised from the flame as one part. The top plate or cap 35 is detachably connected areaete with the base 34 by screws, so that it can be readily removed to permit access to the interior of the casing. When the said top plate is removed, the drums 31 and the sections 32 can be successively removed.

As above stated, two groups of drums organized and operated as above described constitute the entire series required to provide, in connection with a suitable number of dies and the delivering and receiving reels or drums, a complete wire-drawing apparatus. In Fig. 1 I have shown the said two groups of drums, and in connection therewith a series of dies 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. The die 1 is interposed between the wire-delivering reel 52 and the first group of drawing-drums, the wire passing from the die 1 around the lower drum 31 of the first group, this drum having the slowest rotation. From the lower drum 31 of the first group, the wire passes through the die 2 to the lower drum of the second group. From said drum the wire passes through the die 3 to the second drum of the first group, and successively from said drum through the die 4, around the second drum of the second group, through the die 5, around the third drum of the first group, through the die 6, around the third drum of the second group, through the die 7, around the fourth drum of the first group, through the die 8, around the fourth drum of the second group, and from the latter through the die 9 to a storing-drum 53.

As above stated, the variation between the speed ratio of each drum and that of the next in the same tier or roup of drums is preferably about double t%e elongation of the wire. This increase is about twice as great as that required to provide for the elongation of the wire between one drum and the next of the series. The same ratio is preserved in the second grou of drums; but in said second group each rum rotates as much faster than and driving the drums of each group at different speed ratios, the increase of which from drum to drum in each tier is double the required increase, the drums of the second igroup being driven at rates which provide or only the desired increase in speed between the successively-acting drums, I greatly economize space without sacrificing efficiency or speed, the two tiers or groups of drums occu pying only about one-quarter of the horizontal space which would be required for eight drums arranged in tandem order.

The independently-driven drums may be ing ' given relative speeds corresponding to a very quired between the largest and smallest drums. I have mentioned a series of eight drums but it is obvious that each tier, or group ofdrums may have four or any other suitable number of drums, a corresponding number of dies being employed. Each drum is preferably provided with a wire-forwarding means adapted to slip circumferentially on the drum and frictionally driven at the speed required by the call or tension of the wire,

as shown in my Letters Patent of the United States, No. 742,987, November 3, 1903, said wire-forwarding means as here shown comprising a series of segmental shoes 54, encircling the outer peripheries of the drums 31 and adapted to slip thereon, said shoes having outwardly-projecting flanges at their edges. The lower flange of each shoe rests on a horizontal seat 57, Fig. 6, formed on a drum 31. The back or inner side of each shoe bears on a eripheral face 58, formed on the drum 31. o prevent the shoes from be- (pressed upwardly against the fixed uar s t incline each face 58 so that it overhangs the seat 57, the backs of the shoes being correspondingly inclined. Excessive friction, such as would be caused by pressure of the shoes against fixed surfaces, is thus prevented. This is an important feature of my invention, and I do not consider it limited to the particular mechanical construction shown, nor is it solely applicable to the exact type of wire-forwarding means which is herein illustratedvi-z., the segmental shoes 54.

The lubricating li uid enters the interior of the casin throng feed-pipes connected therewith. o insure sufficient lubrication 'mersed in the said liquid,

of the contacting surfaces of the drums and the shoes 54, I pgivide orifices 59, arranged to conduct the lubricant from the interior of the drum to the face 58. The well or cavity 55, which contains the drums and .dies, is kept supplied by leakage from the interior of the casin with the lubricating liquid, which is prefera bl water containing a suitable proportion of ubricating compound, the draw ing-drums and dies being iaactically imw ch keeps the friction-surfaces of the drums and the casing, as well as of the drums and of the wire-forwarding shoes 54, constantly and uniformly lubricated.

It will be seen that the fixed casing, formed with flanges or guards which project beyond 33 by the pull 0 he wire or other wise,

the outer peripheries of the drums, prevents the scattering of the lubricating liquld by the rotation of the drums and also enables the operator to more conveniently and easily pass the wire around the drums in the operation of threading up the machine. The fixed guards or flanges surrounding the bases of the drums ofeach group or tier might obviously be of different diameters, the lowest guard being the largest of the series and the others successively decreasing in diameter, as will be understood without additional illustration. This arrangement would enable the operator to readily locate the-different drums by the sense of touch in engaging the wire with the drums at the commencement of the operation, the drums being immersed in the lubricant, so that the cannot be readily seen.

The dies may e detachably secured to the su porting-frame in any suitable way, preferab y by the stepped holders 56 shown in Figs.

4 and '5, constituting a novel construction in which the dies overlap.

It is obvious that certain of the advantages obtained by my' invention would result from a machine in which each annular internallydriven drum is mounted alone in a fixed casing instead of being a member of a roup or tier. .The machine may be provide with as many pairs of the above-described groups or tiers of drums as may be desired, and the. groups may be distributed around the center of a circular frame. The driving-spindles 39 and the spindle that rotates the storing-drum 53 may be rotated by mechanism, such as that described for rotating the drawin and storing drums in my above-mentione patent, or by any other suitable means. The means employed should be such that the driving-spindle of the second tier of drums will be rotated at a fixed rate relatively to the speed of the driving-spindle of the first tier, the second spind e being preferably driven about twenty-per cent. faster than the firstor at any relative speed suited to the elongation of the wire, as above indicated.

In Fig. 1 I have shown by dotted lines,'as

suitable means for imparting motion from one of the spindles to the other, a gear 60, affixed to the spindle. of the second tier of drums, a gear 61, affixed to the spindle of the first tier, and an intermediate gear 62, connecting the gears 60 and 61, the said gears being so proportioned that the s mdle of the second tier, which is driven at a ed rate by a driving-shaft 64 and suitable intermediate gearing, rotates at a suitable rate'faster than the spindle of the first tier.

Asit is often desired to wind coils of difierent sizes for the market I provide a lurality of receiving or storing drums of-di erent'diameters which are interchangeably fitted on the storing-drum spindle 80 by means of a key, such as that shown .in Fig. 3, or other suitable coupling, and rotated thereby. One

size of drum 53 is shown in Figs. 1 and 3 and a smaller size 53 in Fig. 10. As the smaller drum requires to be driven at the same peripheral speed as the larger drum it must have a greater angular speed. I have, as shown in the drawings, rovided changegear mechanism for two iflerent speeds of the storing-drum spindle. 81 is a vertical counter-shaft driven from the shaft 64 and carrying a spur-gear 82 of a width comprehending the width of two spur-gears 83 84 of different diameters concentric with the storing-drum spindle 80. An oscillating lever or holder 85, carrying intermediate or idlergears 86 87 in constant mesh with the respective gears 83 84, oscillates concentrically with the spindle 80 and is fixed in either of two positions bya bolt 88, entering the frame. In one of these positions the spindle 80 is driven through gears 82 86 83 and in the other position it is driven throu h gears 82 87 84, the intermediates 86 87 afizernatively meshing with the driver 82.

The cars 83 84 are both fixed to the sleeve hub o? a clutch 'member 91. A complemental clutch member 92 is connected with a lever 93, whose oscillation sets and releases the clutch, said lever having a pivotal slot and-pin connection at 94 with an arm- 95 in a rock-shaft 96. Another arm 97 thereon is connected with-a spring 98, which normally throws the parts so as to release the clutch. A third arm 99 on this rock-shaft is a support for the last die 9 of the drawing series. The frictional drag of the wire on the die oscillates the arm 99 in such a direction as to set the clutch 91 92 against the action of the s ring 98. Should the wire break beyond the die 9, the spring 98 will act to automatically release the clutch and stop the rotation of the storing-drum, the arm 99 assuming the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 9. The die 9 is supported by a swiveled holder 100, pivoted upon a stud 101, which may be screwed into two different holes 102 on the arm 99 to correspond with the different directions or positions taken by the wire in leading onto the two different sizes of drums represents a tank to contain a supply of the lubricating li uid. The liquid is orced to the interior of t e drum-casin s by means of a pump 66 and suitable circu ating-pipes 67, the pump being driven b connectionwith the drivin -shaft 64. The ubricating liquid may be allowed to overflow from the cavity 55 at a suitable point or oints, the overflowing li uid beingreceived ya pan 66,hav ing an inc ined bottomand a discharge-opening 69,which is arranged to deliver the liquid to the tank 65.

To take up the slack of the wire passing from the supply-reel 52 to the first drawingdie 1, I provide a take-up roll 70, journaled at one end of a lever 71, which is affixed to a rock-shaft 72, journaled in bearings on the frame of the machine. 73 represents a spring coiled upon the rock-shaft 72, one end of said spring being engaged at 74 with an arm 75, fixed to the rock-shaft 72, while the other end of the spring bears upon a fixed support. The tendency of the spring is to force the lever 71 and the roll away from the axis of the reel 52, as indicated by the ar row in Fig. 1. Consequently the roll 70 ex erts a pull on the wire assing from the reel. It often happens that t e coils of wire wound upon the reel are so arranged that at some periods the wire rotates the reel less ra idly than at others. This occasionally results in the sto page of the reel until the slack has been ta (en up by the drawing-rolls, the reel in machines of this class as heretofore organized being then suddenly started by the pull exerted on the wire by the drawing n1echanism, and considerable strain is imposed upon the wire, which not only tends to break it but imparts an undue momentum to the reel and gives an irregular delivery of the wire. These objections are overcome and the wire kept' under a practically uniform tension by means of the yielding take-up roll 70.

I claim 1. A wire-drawing machine comprising two tiers of independently rotatable wiredrawin drums, two series of dies facing in opposite directions cooperating therewith, and driving mechanism including tw o shafts or spindles, one for each tier, connections between each spindle and the drums of the corresponding tier whereby said drums are rotated at successively increasing rotative speeds, and connections between the spindles ada ted to cause the rotation of the spindles at ifi'erent speed ratios.

2. A wire-drawing machine comprisin two tiers of annular wire-drawing drums each having an internal gear, fixedguides or supports for said drums, two driving-spindles one for each tier of drums, gearin connecing said spindles with the interna gears of the drums, said gearing having provisions for rotating the drums at successively increasing s eeds, and gearing connecting the two spind es and having provisions for rotating one spindle faster than the other.

A wire-drawing machine comprising a tier of annular wire-drawing drums, fixed means for individually supportin said annular drums against the strain 0 the wire, and mechanism independent of the supporting means for driving said drums at different speeds.

4. A. wire-drawing machine comprising 9. tier of annular wire-drawing drums, fixed means for individually supporting said annular drums against the strain of the wire, and mechanism independent of the su porting means for driving said drums, sai driving mechanism having provisions for rotating the drums at difierent speeds.

5. A wire-drawing machine comprising a tier of annular wire-drawing drums, annular guides or supports therefor, mechanism for rotating saic drums on their supports, and means for forcing a liquid lubricant into the interior of the supports for constantly lubricating the contacting-surfaces of the drums and support.

6. A wire-drawing machine comprising a tier of annular wire-drawing drums havinginternal gears, guides or su ports for said drums, a driving shaft or spind e surrounded by the drums, and gearing connecting said spindle with the internal gears of the drums.

7. A wire-drawing machine comprising a tier of annular wire-drawing drums having internal gears, guides or supports for said drums, a driving shaft or spmdle surrounded by the drums and having driving-gears of difierent diameters, and intermediate gears mounted on fixed supports and connecting the said driving-gears with the internal gears of the drums.

8. A wire-drawing machine com rising a tier of wire-drawing drums, means fhr rotat ng the same, and a non-rotating casing hav-' mg guldes or supports for the drums, and guards projecting outwardly from the peripheries of the drums.

9. A wiredrawin machine comprising a tier of annular wire rawing drums each having an internal gear, a non-rotatin casing having guides or supports for the ruins, a driving-shaft common to all the drums having a tier of driving-gears of difierent diameters, and intermediate gears supported by said casing and connecting the driving-gears with the internal gears of the drums.

10. In a wire-drawing machine, a tier of wire-drawing drums adapted to act successively on the same wire and having internal gears, a shaft within said drums, having gears, and intermediate gears between the shaft-gears and the drum-gears, the ratios of the gearing being such that the several drums are driven at different rotative speeds.

11. In a wire-drawing machine, two fixed flanges or plates and a wire-drawing drum rotating between said plates.

12. A wire-drawing r aohine' comprising a wire-drawing drum, a fixed casing having a support or guide for said drum and guards projecting outwardly above and below the drum, and means for rotating the drum.

13. In a wire-drawing machine, two wiredrawing drums in a tier, and a fixed guard projecting beyond the peripheries of said drums between the drums.

14. A wire-drawing machine comprising a drum having a carryingeseat and a fixed guard opposite the seat, wire-forwardin means circumferentially movable on sai drum and resting on said seat, and means whereby the radial contraction of said wireforwarding means forces the latter against said seat.

15. In a wire-drawing machine, a wiredrawing drum, wire-drawing means adapted to slip circumferentially thereon, the surface of said means where it rests on the surface of the drum being inclined to the axis of rotation of the drum, and a fixed guard adjacent said means at the larger diameter of said surface.

16. A wire-drawing drum having a recessed or grooved periphery, one side of the recess forming a seat or support, while another side forms a peripheral surface which is inclined to overhang said seat, said drum having also a series of loose segmental shoes bearin on said seat and having inclined backs earing on the said inclined peripheral surface, and a fixed guard adjacent said shoes on the side opposite said seat.

17. A wire-drawing machine comprising a hollow drum having a liquor-channel connecting the exterior with its interior, wireforwarding means on said drum arranged to be lubricated from said channel, and means to supply lubricating liquid to the interior of said drum.

18. A wire-drawing hollow drum, a liquorchannel connected with the interior thereof, an orifice communicating with the li uorchannel and extending to the exterior o the drum whereby the wire-forwarding surface of said drum is lubricated by liquor from its interior.

19. A wire-drawing drum having a recessed or grooved periphery one side of the recess forming a seat and another a peripheral surface, a series of loose segmental shoes bearing on said seat and surface, and ducts extending through said surface to admit a lubricant to the backs of the shoes.

20. In a wire-drawing machine, the combination with a drawing-drum, a die cooperating therewith and a loose delivering-reel, of a yielding take-up between the drum and reel which regulates the delivery of the wire from said reel.

21. In a continuous-wire-drawing machine, a plurality of drawin -drums, a series of dies, a storing-drum spindle having means for detachabl receiving wire-storing drums of different iameters, and mechanism for oper ating said spindle at different predetermined speeds which give the same peripheral veholder having a direct operative connection with said clutch whereby the rotative movement of the drum causes the drag of the wire in the die to set and maintain the engagement of the clutch.

23. In a wire-drawing machine, a rotaeeaese In testimony whereof I have affixed my table drum-holder having means for detachsignature in presence of two Witnesses.

ably receiving a storing-drum, a drawingdrum adjacent to the storing-drum, a die 10- 5 cated between the drums, and means Whereby the die may be adjusted to keep it on a common tangent to the two drums.

JAMES A. HORTON.

Witnesses:

R. MVPIERSON, A. O. RATIGAN. 

